Meet the Deakin Family

When you close your eyes and picture a farm, you may as well be seeing Jim and Penny Deakin’s idyllic acreage. A creek runs right through the middle. Jim’s antique John Deere’s are in the barn. And some of the county’s oldest grape vines grow here. Maybe that’s why Jim and Penny’s son is choosing to become a fourth-generation farmer and Welch’s owner. Someday the grandkids might, too. For now, they’re content to play in the creek.

“My dad used to say, ‘The farmer’s shadow is the best fertilizer.’ When you stay on your farm, know your farm, know the soil, you get the best quality.”
Jim Deakin

Jim has cast a lot of shadows on his farm over the course of 57 years. That’s how long he and Penny have been farming together. Still, there’s always more to learn. Jim is on his computer at 6:00 each morning reading weather forecasts and agriculture bulletins. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he says. “That’s farming. That is the definition of farming.”

“The only place you can grow grapes is from the lakes to the foothills of the big ridge behind us. The lake plain has good soil and a unique climate.”
Jim Deakin

There aren’t a lot of places where Concord grapes can be grown successfully. Jim and Penny’s farm is one of them. It takes plenty of sunshine, some chilly nights, and moderate spring and fall temperatures for Concord grapes to develop their sweet, tangy, bold taste. Like wine, Welch’s 100% Grape Juice gets its flavor from the place the grapes are grown.

“There’s no added sugar in our 100% grape juice. The sweetness in the juice comes from the sunshine. That’s all there is.”
Penny Deakin

Penny makes it plain and simple: When you take a sip of Welch’s 100% Grape Juice, what you’re tasting is the grapes that she and Jim grow. And when you look at the glass, that deep purple color came from the grape skins. “We use the whole grape,” she says. “And it’s delicious.”

Deakin Farm

Portland, New York

They’ve been growing grapes in Portland, N.Y., on the shore of Lake Erie, since the 1800’s. In addition to Concord and Niagara grapes, the Deakins also grow apples, peaches, cherries and sweet corn.